The Man from Banī ʿAbs and the Porter
May 26, 2023 § Leave a comment
A man from Banī ʿAbs went to the al-Madāʾin market and purchased a large amount of goods and then looked for someone to carry them for him. He saw a man standing in the market and called him and said, “Carry these for me, may Allaah have mercy on you.” So the man came and picked up his wares and started to walk next to him.
Every time they passed by a group of people they looked at the man who was carrying the goods and said, “As-Salāmu ʿalaika, O Abū ʿAbdullah!”
So the man from Banī ʿAbs was surprised at this porter who was carrying his goods and who all the people of the city knew and who the nobles and dignitaries feted and revered and respected and who they gave this most respectful of salāms to.
So he said, “Who are you, may Allaah have mercy on you?” He replied, “I am just one of Allaah’s slaves.”
Then they passed by another group of people and they said to the man carrying the goods, “As-Salāmu ʿalaika, O Abū ʿAbdullah!” So then the man from Banī ʿAbs took one of them by his hand and said, “Who is this man?”
He replied, “That is Abū ʿAbdullah Salmān al-Fārisī—[most noble] Companion of the Messenger of Allaahﷺ and the Amīr of al-Madāʾin.”
So the man felt embarrassed and ashamed and said, “May Allaah have mercy on you, I didn’t know who you were, please give me my goods so I can carry them.”
Salmān said, “No, wallāhī, I will carry them right until you get to your house.”
Siyar Aʾlām an-Nubalā, vol. 1, p. 546.
Gifts of Knowledge 
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